Labor groups slam KL over worker ban
Labor groups slam KL over worker ban
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Labor activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) staged a protest in front of the Malaysian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta on Tuesday, criticizing the Malaysian government for treating Indonesian workers unfairly.
They also called on Indonesian workers in Malaysia to go on a three-day mass strike to protest the Malaysian governmentUs plan to stop recruiting Indonesians and halve the number of registered Indonesian workers there following violent clashes with local police authorities.
"The Malaysian governmentUs plan to cut the number of Indonesian workers by half is unfair and is a form of discrimination that is against universal principles of human rights," Consortium for Indonesian Migrant Workers Defense (Kopbumi) Executive Secretary Wahyu Susilo said during the protest.
Arriving at the embassy at around 12:30 p.m., the protesters demanded that the Malaysian abandon its plan to repatriate Indonesian workers, revoke policies halting the recruitment of Indonesian workers and stop violence against Indonesians perpetuated by Malaysian authorities.
They also called for a dialog between the Indonesian government and the Malaysian government to resolve the labor dispute in accordance with universal principles of human rights.
"The migrant worker dispute shows that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia are in crisis. The Malaysian government also feels that it has legitimate reasons to deport thousands of Indonesian migrant workers in the country," Wahyu said.
The protest, which was later joined by activists from the Jakarta Legal Aid (LBH Jakarta), came just two days after Malaysia unveiled a plan to halve the number of Indonesian workers following violent clashes with the police.
Meanwhile, Vice President Hamzah Haz looked set to visit Malaysia over the labor crisis, but the government played down speculation that the issue could jeopardize diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea told reporters after a one-hour meeting with Hamzah at the latterUs office on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta on Tuesday that the Vice President would depart in the very near future, although a fixed date had not yet been determined.
Jacob was abruptly summoned by the Vice President for a consultation as the labor crisis appeared to reach the point of no return now that only a top government level talks could settle the issue beyond doubt.
"I have briefed the Vice President about the chronology of what happened out there and I thought he understood very well. I hope he can visit Malaysia to discuss the problem as well as other bilateral matters," Jacob said.
The minister is expected to accompany the Vice President during the Malaysian trip.
"We cannot determine the date yet as we are still seeking more advice from our embassy in Malaysia," Jacob said.
According to Malaysian authorities, there are currently around 900,000 registered Indonesian workers in the neighboring country, but Manpower Ministry data reveals there are only some 568,000 Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.
Indonesian workers working overseas contributed US$2.6 billion to the countryUs foreign exchange earnings, $61.4 million of which comes from those working in Malaysia.
Jacob said tens of thousands more Indonesian workers had entered Malaysia illegally.
RI regret the incidents in Malaysia, but the Malaysian governmentUs decision to deport 450,000 Indonesian workers is also regrettable.
"We are of the same ethnic group. They are in need of manpower and we need jobs, so it must be difficult to send that many workers home," Jacob said.